It has been an entertaining first week at the Australian Open, despite the absence of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Serena Williams.
There will be no repeat champion in either the men’s singles or the women’s singles. Djokovic’s fate was sealed before the tournament with the cancellation of his visa, On the women’s side, defending champ Naomi Osaka, the 13th seed, won her first two matches but lost out in a third-set tiebreaker to unseeded Amanda Anisimova in the third round.
Fourth-round matches take place tonight and tomorrow night (U.S. time), with a number of intriguing matches set to take place. Let’s take a look at how the tournament is shaping up at this point.
Rublev Sent Packing Early But Top Men’s Singles Favorites All Still Alive
The men’s singles draw has not seen a great deal of chaos at the top end through the first three rounds. Fifth seed Andrey Rublev is the top seed to exit at this stage, as he lost in four sets to former US Open champ Marin Cilic in the third round. But the other single-digit seeds who took the court in Melbourne are all still alive.
However, it has not been completely smooth sailing for the higher men’s seeds. Six of the seven top-nine seeds–eighth seed Casper Ruud withdrew before the tournament with an ankle injury–who were in the draw have advanced to the fourth round. But only two other top-16 seeds are still alive in Jannik Sinner, the 11th seed, and Denis Shapovalov, the 14th seed.
2022 Australian Open Men’s Singles Results – Top 16 Seeds
- Still Alive: #2 Daniil Medvedev, #3 Alexander Zverev, #4 Stefanos Tsitsipas, #6 Rafael Nadal, #7 Matteo Berrettini, #9 Felix Auger-Aliassime, #11 Jannik Sinner, #14 Denis Shapovalov
- Eliminated: #5 Andrey Rublev (third round), #10 Hubert Hurkacz (second round), #12 Cameron Norrie (first round), #13 Diego Schwartzmann (second round), #15 Roberto Bautista Agut (third round), #16 Cristian Garin (third round)
- Did not play in tournament: #1 Novak Djokovic (visa canceled and deported from Australia), #8 Casper Ruud (ankle injury)
Thirteen of the players to reach the Australian Open fourth round are seeded players, which is one fewer than last year. Of the three (Miomir Kecmanovic, Adrian Mannarino, and Maxime Cressy), the player with the best shot at going further is Kecmanovic.
Kecmanovic was set to face his compatriot Djokovic in the first round, but he has benefitted from Djokovic not being allowed to play. He knocked off #25 seed Lorenzo Sonego in the third round to set up a fourth-round matchup with the resurgent Gael Monfils.
Monfils opened 2022 by winning a warm-up tournament in Adelaide and is vying for his first Grand Slam quarterfinal appearance since the 2019 US Open. Monfils has won his first three matches in straight sets, including an impressive third-round victory over Garin.
Top Two Women’s Singles Seeds Still Alive, Defending Champion Osaka Eliminated in Third Round
In the women’s singles draw, 11 seeded players are into the fourth round. Ons Jabeur, the ninth seed, withdrew prior to the tournament with a back injury. But even with her withdrawal not factored in, this is still the lowest number of seeded players to reach this point in the Australian Open since 2018, when only 10 seeded players reached the fourth round.
That year, the top two seeds reached the final, where #2 seed Caroline Wozniacki had her long-awaited Grand Slam breakthrough, defeating top seed Simona Halep in a three-set thriller.
We are still on for the first Grand Slam women’s singles final between the top two seeds since then, as top seed Ashleigh Barty and #2 seed Aryna Sabalenka are both into the fourth round.
As is the case in the men’s draw, six of the top nine women’s singles seeds are still alive. But Halep, the #14 seed is the only other top-16 seed still alive.
2022 Australian Open Women’s Singles Results – Top 16 Seeds
- Still Alive: #1 Ashleigh Barty, #2 Aryna Sabalenka, #4 Barbora Krejcikova, #5 Maria Sakkari, #7 Iga Swiatek, #8 Paula Badosa, #14 Simona Halep
- Eliminated: #3 Garbine Muguruza (second round), #6 Anett Kontaveit (second round), #10 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (third round), #11 Sofia Kenin (first round), #12 Elena Rybakina (retired in second round), #13 Naomi Osaka (third round), #15 Elina Svitolina (third round), #16 Angelique Kerber (first round)
- Did not play in tournament: #9 Ons Jabeur (back injury)
2022 Australian Open Tournament Draw – Fourth Round
For those with interested in how Americans are faring in the tournament, two American men (#20 Taylor Fritz and unseeded Maxime Cressy) and four American women (#21 Jessica Pegula, #27 Danielle Collins, unseeded Madison Keys and Anisimova) remain alive.
Of those six Americans, the only one favored to win in the fourth round is Collins, who takes on #19 seed Elise Mertens. Three years ago, Collins made a memorable run to the Australian Open semifinals after previously never making it out of the first round of a Grand Slam tournament. Since then, a quarterfinal appearance at the 2020 French Open is the only other time she has reached this point of a Slam.
It could be a really good or really bad weekend for the Pegula family. Jessica has the chance to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals for the second year in a row, as he she takes on Sakkari tonight. Tomorrow, the Buffalo Bills, who are owned by Pegula’s parents, face the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL playoffs.
Interested in a Pegula-Sakkari/Bills-Chiefs parlay? At BetMGM, you can parlay Pegula ML (+170) and Bills ML (+105) at odds of +453, at the time of writing.
Men’s Singles
Top Half
- Miomir Kecmanovic vs. #17 Gael Monfils
- #19 Pablo Carreno Busta vs. #7 Matteo Berrettini
- #3 Alexander Zverev vs. #14 Denis Shapovalov
- Adrian Mannarino vs. #6 Rafael Nadal
Bottom Half
- #32 Alex de Minaur vs. #11 Jannik Sinner
- #20 Taylor Fritz vs. #4 Stefanos Tsitsipas
- #27 Marin Cilic vs. #9 Felix Auger-Aliassime
- Maxime Cressy vs. #2 Daniil Medvedev
Women’s Singles
Top Half
- #1 Ashleigh Barty vs. Amanda Anisimova
- #21 Jessica Pegula vs. #5 Maria Sakkari
- #4 Barbora Krejcikova vs. #24 Victoria Azarenka
- Madison Keys vs. #8 Paula Badosa
Bottom Half
- #27 Danielle Collins vs. #19 Elise Mertens
- #14 Simona Halep vs. Alize Cornet
- #7 Iga Swiatek vs. Sorana Cirstea
- Kaia Kanepi vs. #2 Aryna Sabalenka
2022 Australian Open Odds
Australian Open Men’s Singles Odds
- Daniil Medvedev +125
- Alexander Zverev +333
- Rafael Nadal +350
- Stefanos Tsitsipas +1400
- Jannik Sinner +1400
- Gael Monfils +1800
- Matteo Berrettini +2800
- Marin Cilic +3300
- Felix Auger-Aliassime +3300
- Alex de Minaur +5000
- Taylor Fritz +5000
- Pablo Carreno Busta +6600
- Denis Shapovalov +6600
- Miomir Kecmanovic +10000
- Maxime Cressy +10000
- Adrian Mannarino +15000
Australian Open Women’s Singles Odds
- Ashleigh Barty +160
- Simona Halep +500
- Iga Swiatek +500
- Paula Badosa +900
- Victoria Azarenka +1200
- Aryna Sabalenka +1200
- Amanda Anisimova +1600
- Maria Sakkari +2000
- Barbora Krejcikova +2200
- Madison Keys +2500
- Danielle Collins +2500
- Elise Mertens +3300
- Jessica Pegula +5000
- Sorana Cirstea +6600
- Kaia Kanepi +6600
- Alize Cornet +10000
Odds are via BetMGM.
